Grace Arlandson (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) and Nathan Martin (SpeedBlock p/b Terun) won the overall titles at Tour de Bloom. The six-day stage race came to a conclusion on Tuesday in Wenatchee, Washington.
The women’s race was a battle between Aegis x LOE and Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY28. Last year’s overall champion, Lauren Stephens (Aegis x LOE) opted not to race in order to train nearby for the Unbound Gravel 200 on May 30.
On day two, Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY28 dominated the 121.km Waterville Road Race with four riders finishing together, Marlies Mejías leading the charge for the stage victory, and Arlandson leading the chase group behind. This set the stage for the GC battle for the two teams, Arlandson taking a 13-second lead over Mejias, and then Chapman third with the same time.
Stage 3’s downtown criterium was a carbon copy of the top 3 for a second day, Mejías winning alongside teammates Olivia Cummins and Ella Sabo, and the Cuban sprinter overtaking Arlandson by two seconds for the GC lead.
Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY28 remained in control on stage 4 with Emily Ehrlich, Mejías and Cummins filling the podium, but Arlandson was on the same time on the 118km road race in fourth. Bonus seconds gave Mejías more time, and she led Arlandson by 8 seconds, Chapman by 22 seconds.
Ehrlich, the reigning USPro elite women’s time trial champion, cruised to the victory on stage 5’s 24.6km time trial into Mansfield and disrupted the GC. Mejias went second in the time trial, 30 seconds behind her teammate, and the two were in the top two spots, Mejías still in the lead. A trio of Aegis riders filled positions four to six in the ITT, moving Arlandson and Chapman into a tie for third overall at 1:07…
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